Automobile torpedo and method of and apparatus for its propulsion.



I I H. MAXIM. AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ITSPROPULSION.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.9, 1908. 1,014,014, Patented Jan.9, 1912.

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AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ITS PROPULSION.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..9, 1908.

1,014,014, Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

'7 SHEETSSHEET 3.

H. MAXIM. AUTOMOBILE TOBPEDO AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ITSPROPULSION.

Patented Jan.9,1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET APPLIOATION FILED HA3. 9, 1908.

IIIYIIIIIIIII/Il H. MAXIM. AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND METHOD OF ANDAPPARATUS FOR ms PROPULSION. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1908.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

H. MAXIM. AUTOMOBILE TOBPEDO AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ITSPROPULSION.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 9, 1908. 1,014,014, Patented Jan.9, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

Patented 1111.9, 1912.

7 sHEETS SHEET 7 $1 9513M adieu 1 W I OCNQO APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9,1908.

H. MAXIM AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ITSPROPULSION. 1,014,014.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFTQ.

HUDSON MAXIM, OF HOPATCONG, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ITS PROPULSION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed March 9, 1908. Serial No. 420,084.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, HunsoN Maxiu, of the borough of Hopatcong, countyof Sussex, State of New Jersey, have invented a. new and usefulImprovement in Automobile Torpedoes and in- Methods and Apparatus forTheir Propulsion, which invention is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

The present invention relates to improvements in automobile torpedoesand in methods and apparatus for their propulsion with much greaterspeed and at longer ranges than heretofore. I-Tcrctofore torpedoes ofthis class have mainly been driven by compressed air used as a motivefluid actuating a turbine or other engine, which in turn drives screwpropellers.

In order to carry a suliicient quantity of air it is necessary tosubject it to a very high degree of compression. Pressures amounting to2,250 pounds to the square inch being common, a heavy, strong andexpensive container, or air flask, is required. As the en tire weight ofthe torpedo must not exceed the weight of the water displaced by it, thepropelling machinery must necessarily be made very .light, while thehigh explosive charge carried in the warhead is much smaller than isdesirable.

In order to effectually utilize the highly compressed air itis necessaryto heat it in its passage from the air flask to the engine or turbine;but notwithstanding the large quantity of compressed air carried and thehigh compression to which it is subjected, and the fact that it isheated before using, the speed and range of all compressed airdriventorpedoes fall far short of being as great as is needed to meet demandsand exicharge of high explosive in the warhead, all

as hereinafter described and explained.

l'n carrying out the invention, the usual cigar-shaped torpedo casing ispreferably employed, the principal divisions of the torpcdo being-thewar-head, the main body and the after-body. In the main body or centralcasing is mounted an apparatus adapted to the burning of aself-combustive fuel, a combustion chamber or steam generator forevaporating water by the heated products of combustion of such fuel, afuel container, an automatic water supply adapted to take water from thesea and conduct it to the combustion chamber or steam generator,together with a controlling valve for regulating the pressure within thecombustion chamber or steam generator, and thereby to control the rateof combustion of the self-combustivc fuel and the quantity of productsof combustion and steam generated and the temperature thereof, which areallowed to escape through the controlling valve and thence to apropelling means, such for instance as to drive a turbine or otherengine, or to be employed in a suitable manner for jet propulsion. Thecombustion chamber or steam generator is provided also with a safetyvalve adapted to be opened with greatquickness, either by excessivepressure Within the combustion chamber or steam generator, or byexcessive heat therein.

Within the steam generator means, such as a series of bafiie plates, areprovided,

whereby the water, on entering the combustion chamber, is taken up inthe swirl of hot gases or flame of the burning motorite orself-combustive material and forced through the series of baffle platesor atomizer, which serves both to blow the water into a fine spray andto convert it into steam. The water, being blown into a fine spray bythe blast of heated gases, is made to present an enormous area per unitof weight to the heated products of combustion, and, therefore, isthereby immediately converted into steam, with which the gaseousproducts of the combustion of the fuel is intimately mixed.

The controlling valve is of the piston or plunger type, and is adaptedto receive pressure directly from the combustion chamber at both ends ofthe piston or plunger; but the pressure on the one end which forms thevalve seat, being exerted upon a largerarea than that exposed to thepressure at the other end of the piston, the valve is forced open by theunbalanced pressure, thereb permitting the free passage of the productsof combustion and steam through the valved orifice, to be conducted toand utilized by 'thetorpcdo propelling means. The controlling valve isnormally held firmly to its seat by the tension of a coiled springadjusted to exert a predetermined pressure against the valve.

The motorite or self-combustive fuel is made in the form of solid barsof seven inches or more in diameter, and of a length suited to supplysufficient gaseous products of combustion with the steam to. obtain themaximum range desired; the motorite bars being forced and sealed intothin steel tubes.

Means are provided for the convenient insertion and removal of themotorite-containing tube, or tubes, the use of a single tube belngchosen for illustration. When in position in the torpedo, the motoritetube is surrounded by a water jacket; two water reservoirs bein providedabove the forward end portion of the water jacket, to which the waterjacket is connected by a suitable conduit. Both water reservoirs aredirectly connected with the combustion chamber or steam generator by apipe or conduit, which branches to each of the water reservoirs by anindependent pipe or conduit adapted to .be opened and closed by asuitable automatically operated valve.

The water reservoirs are so constructed that one of them is constantlyunder the pressure of the combustion chamber, while the other isautomatically refilling from the sea. rEach water tank is provided witha float connected with and adapted to operate avalve gear which, as soonas the tank is 'filled with water, causes the combustion chamberpressure to be admitted to the filled tank simultaneously with its beingopened to thesupply conduit, quickly followed by the pressure being shutoff from the other .tank, the pressure already within it to be releasedinto the sea through an exhaust valve, and its outlet to the supplyconduit closed; the operation of the valves being effected .by energystored up in springs by the reciprocal movements of a piston operatingin connection with both tanks under the alternatingvunbalanced pressurebetween the tanks. ater from the tank or reservoir under pressure isallowed to flow by gravity into and throu h the water jacket surroundingthe motorite tube into the combustion have been obtained from the directuse of mixed steam. and products of combustion in et propulsion, therebydoing away with the use of engine, turbines and propellers.

The motive fluid-that is to say, the mixed steam and products ofcombustion, when used for jet propulsion, are conducted to and through arelatively large number of orifices into and through trumpet-shapedoutlets or expansion conduits opening to the sea, with their mouthsarranged circumferentially around the afterbody of the torpedo, wherebya certain proportion of the energy in the motive fluid is converted intomomentum, thereby reacting to some extent upon the torpedo to force itthrough the water. But the object of expanding the motive fluid ismainly to cause the escaping steam and gases to exert their pressureover a greater surface of the water and thereby simultaneously to reactover a correspondingly large surface of the torpedo, to force it forwardthrough the water.

Steam employed alone does not serve so well for jet propulsion, for thereason that it condenses so quickly upon the cold sur face of the water,but when a mixture of .steam and products of combustion containing alarge proportion of fixed gases is employed, some of the steam condensesin contact with the cold surface of the water lea-ving a stratum offixed gases between the uncondensed outgoing steam and the water, sothat always there is a thin film or layer of fixed uncondensable andheated gases between the escaping steam and the water wall, so that theuncondensed steam is enabled in expanding to exert great pressurebetween the water wall and a corresponding area of the torpedo to forceit along through the water;

As the torpedo is traveling at high speed through the Water, the waterwall against which the steam pressure is exerted is quite fixed andrigid, for the reason that new .water is constantly being supplied tothat ghiph is forced away by the escaping motive Having thus given ageneral description of the improved torpedo and improved apparatus andmethod constituting means for its propulsion, a detailed descripton ofthe the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal, verticalsectional elevations of theopposite end portions of the main or central body of the torpedo, theintermediate portion, not shown, being taken up by the continued lengthof the tube containing the self-combustive material and surroundingwater jacket that are shown in section and in elevation respectively insaid two figures. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal horizontal section on theline 3, of Fig. 2, showing particularly one of the runways and valvesfor supplying sea water to the tanks. Fig. 4, is a vertical crosssection taken approximately on the line 4., of Fig. 2 with the forwardwater tank in section to expose the valve gear. Fig. 5, is a verticalsame will now be given with reference to cross section taken halfthrough the jet nozzles and half through the torpedo casing in rear ofthe nozzles, approximately on the line 5, of Fig. 1. Fig. 6, is anenlarged sectional elevation of the valve gear in one of the watertanks; and Fig. 7 1s a cross section on the line 7, of Fig. ,6. Fig. 8,is a cross sectional elevation taken on the lines 8, of Figs. 1 and 9,showing the baflle plates of the steam generator and an elevatlon of theigniter for the self-combustive material.

. Fig. 9, is 'a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 9, of 8.Fig. 10, is'an enlarged vertical section of the trip mechanism foroperating or starting the igniter. Fig. 11, is a horizontal of the steamgenerator or combustion chamber showing the emergency ressure and heatvalves. Fig. 12, is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing theinvention adapted to the use of a turbine or other engine for propulsivepurposes and a pump for supplying water to the steam generator.

The torpedo casing A, is of the usual or other preferred form, theextreme end-portions of the central or main body of which is illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2, wherein a transverse partition or bulk-head B supportsone end of a tube C containing the self-combustive material .or fuel andasteam generator or combustion chamber D. The casing is rendered capableof being broken or parted at one side of the partitions to expose thecombustion chamber and ermit its being unbolted from the partitlon toallow the withdrawal or insertion of the fuel-containing tube 0. Thistube G extends concentrically within another tube, E, which is alsosupported at one end by the partition B and provides the tube C with asurrounding annular water jacket preventing said tube from becomingunduly heated and at the same time serving as a conduit for the watersupplied to the combustion chamber. The opposite end of the water jackettube E, Fig. 2, is provided with a closing head e, which rests upon andis guided in the expansion movement of the tube by a longitudinalkeel-plate F supported by the casing; and the contiguous end of thefuel-containing tube is provided with a closed head 0 and is supportedconcentric with the outer tube by a ledge 7, up the inclined edge ofwhich the end of the tube moves as it is pushed into place.

The water jacket together with a pipe G form a conduit for a proper andconstant supply of water from the supply tanks H, I, to the combustionchamber or generator D, the entrance to that chamber bein controlled bya suitable spring-pressed va ve J. This valve, until the self-combustivematerial is ignited, or until a proper pressure occurs in the combustionchamber, rests normally closed holding the water in the water jacket,

section of a portion.

but as soon as ressure is formed in the combustion cham er and thematerial is ignited, the valve automatically opens to permit the flow ofwater into the chamber to mingle with the heated products of combustionof the fuel to be thereb converted into steam and form the motor fluidwith which the torpedo is propelled or moved through the water. The pipeG is connected'by two branches with the bottom of the tanks H and I, andthe joint between the pipe and the head 6 is a packed slide-joint g, topermit of the expansive movement of the tube with respect to the pipe.In addition to the water conduit the tanks are each connected with thecombustion chamber D by a pipe K, by which the pressure in said chamberis admitted to the water tanks so that the pressures are counterbalancedand the flow of water therefrom had by gravity.

Automatic means are provided in the water tanks by which, while one tankis supplying water to the combustion chamber the other tank is fillingwith sea water, and as soon as the second tank is filled itsu plies thewater while the first-named tank is filling again. Each tank is providedwith a sea valve L, one of the valves being shown in Fig. 3, mounted inthe inclined face at the end of a long tapering runway M formed in thelongitudinal side of the tor-' pedo'casing; the valve for the other tankbeing of similar construction is situated upon the opposite side of thecasing. Other means for inclosing a proper entrance of the sea waterinto the tanks may be obviously employed.

The feed of water to the combustion chamber alternately from the tanksas one becomes filled and the other empty or nearly so, is governed byvalve gears or devices N, of similar construction, arranged one in eachtank, the valves of which are connected to move in unison in connectionwith independent floats O, one in each tank, and a singlepressure-operated piston P, common to an actuating spring of each valvegear. The valve in each tank is arranged to control the flow of water tothe pipe G, the admission of the combustion chamber pressure whilesupplying water, and the escape of such pressure to the sea when fillingwith water, the construction and operation being such that as soon asone tank becomes filled with water it is opened to the supply pipe G,while the valve in the other tank is moved to shut off the water fromthat tank, so that there is no stoppage in the supply of water to thecombustion chamber. The pressure-operated piston P, also, is connectedto compress a spring in each tank, that is arranged when the tankbecomes filled with Jvater to be tripped so as to exert its expansiveforce in moving both of the valves to their changed positions. The

movement of the piston for this purpose is had by the admission ofpressure to the filled tank, which occurs simultaneously with theexhaust of the pressure in the empty or nearly empty tank. The releaseof the compressed valve actuating spring is had by a suitable connectionwith the float operable when the tank has become filled.

In the drawings, Fig. 2, the tank H has.

pressure admitted to the filled .tank and the opening of the exhaust inthe tank I, has moved to compress the actuating springv 1n said tank I,ready as soon as tripped by the rising float therein to move the valvesin the opposite direction.

The construction of each valve device will be best understood by adetailed description of the enlarged views, Figs. 6 and 7. The valve 20is of the plunger type sliding in a casing 21, and controls the waterorifice 22 of the pipe G; is supplied with a channel 23 for connectingthe pressure supply pipe K with a standpipe 24 leading from the valvecasingto the upper part of the tank, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4; andis further supplied with another channel 25, for connecting thestandpipe 24 with an exhaust pipe 26, leading to the outside of thetorpedo casing. The valve stem 27 is detachably connected to a head 28sliding in a casing 29 and borne upon by an actuating coiled spring 30therein. The head carries a pawl 19 arranged to engage a shoulder on thevalve stem and to be released therefrom in striking a fixed abutment 18.The head has a stud 31 extending outward through a longitudinal slot orslots in the casing and arranged, when the piston P has moved tocompress the spring, to becaught and held by a latch or latches 32pivoted to the easing and having a link or rod 9 extending upward to aguide 8 at the top of the tank.

. This rod has a collar 7 fixed near its upper end arranged to be met byan arm 6 carried by the float O and freely sliding on the rod andthereby to raise the rod and lift the latch to free the valve therefromand allow the expansive force of the spring to move the valve to itsopen position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The reverse movement of the valveto close the water orifice 22, shut off the supply of pressure to thetank through channel 23 and pipe 24, and open or exhaust the pressure inthe tank to the sea through pipe 24, channel 25 and pipe 26, is effectedby the release of the compressed actuating spring in the other tank. Thepiston P, which acts to compress the actuating spring in each tank, ismounted in an open ended cylinder 33 that is situated in the partitionbetween the two tanks H, I, so that one side of the piston is exposed toone tank and the opposite side to the other tank. The piston has a rodextending into each tank, each outer end of the rod being guided by abearing provided on a bracket 34 rising from the spring-containingcasing 29. The piston rod near each end carries a pivoted arm or pawl 35arranged to contact with a stud 5 projecting from a lever 36 pivoted toand depending from the bracket 34, with its .lower end forked tostraddle the valve stem ment of the latch 32 with its stud 31. In

this movement the piston rod in the other tank has brought the pivotedarm or pawl 35 at that end into engagement with the stud 5 of the levertherein ready to move the actuating spring in said tank in a like mannerwhen the piston is forced to the left. The free end of the pivoted armis inclined to meet an incline 4 on the bracket so that at or near theend of the stroke of the piston and when the latch has caught the stud31 the arm is lifted from the lever stud 5, freeing the lever from thepiston rod so that thereafter when the latch 32 is raised by the floatreaching its uppermost position to release the actuating spring theconnecting lever 36 will be free to move to the left independent of thepiston and piston rod.

The pawl 19 couples the spring-actuated head 28 to the valve stem 27when released to move the valves; and to free the valve stem from thepawl to allow the valve to move irrespective of the head and its spring,the pawl at the end of the operative stroke of the spring is tripped bystriking the abutment 18 to release the valve stem. hen the spring hasbeen compressed, the pawl is reengaged with the shoulder of the valvestem by striking another abutment at the end of its travel.

The combustion chamber or steam generator D supports a plurality ofbattle plates h, extending as indicated in Figs. 1 and 8 partiallyacross the chamber and together forming a circuitous or spiral conduitfor the products of combustion and steam. whereby the two are thoroughlyand intimately mixed, and any free water carried thereby effectually andquickly converted into steam to pass onward as the motor fluid fordriving the torpedo through the water.

The motor fluid passes from the combustion chamber by a pipe 71 to acontrolling valve R, the valve stem k of which is provided with a pistonI, mounted in cylinder m. The valve stem is centrally perforated toadmit the motor fluid pressure to the upperv side of the piston, but asthe valve orifice is slightly larger in area than the piston, theunbalanced pressure against the valve is suflicient to. raise the valveagainst the pressure of a suitable spring S acting through theinterposition of a bell crank n, one end connected to the spring and theother bearing against the end of the valve stem. The spring is adjustedto exert a predetermined pressure upon the valve, so that the valveshall open only when the pressure of the motor fluid reaches a definitepoint and will immediately close should the pressure from any cause dropbelow that point, and thereby maintain the needed pressure in thecombustion chamber to cause a uniform and required rate of combustion ofthe self-combustive fuel. After passing the controlling valve R themotor fluid enters a a manifold T from which lead a number of jetorifices t extending into inclined trumpet-shaped outlets opening to thesea with their mouths arrangedcircumferentially around the after body ofthe torpedo as seen in Figs. 1 and 5. In addition to the impact of thejets of motor fluid against the sea, the'shape of the jet outletspermits an expansion of the motor fluid in passing out- Ward so that aportion of its energy is converted into momentum, which reacts to someextent upon the torpedo to force it through the water.

Means are provided for automatically igniting the self-combustivematerial immediately the torpedo is launched from the torpedo tube andby the act of the torpedo striking the water; and these means alsopreferably include a setting device operated by the pressure used tolaunch the torpedo.

The automatic igniter also supplies an initial pressure in thecombustion chamber sufficiently high to insure the burning of. theself-combustive fuel when ignited, as

well as to open the water supply valve J and supply pressure to thefilled water tank.

Referring to Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the igniter is contained in a chamber Wclosed to the remainder of the torpedo that is provided around thecombustion chamber D by the torpedo casing, the partition B and anotherpartition V. A closed cylinder 40, containing strips of smokelessgunpowder is connected by a short pipe 41 with the interior of thecombustion chamber D immediately adjacent to the exposed face of theself-combustive material in the tube C, so that the flame from thesmokeless gunpowder will be led to and directly impinge against the faceof the material insuring its immediate and complete ignition. Thesmokeless powder charge'is fired by detonating a fulminate cap situatedon a perfor the purposes before referred to.

forated nipple 1 on the top of the cylinder 40 which communicates itsfire to a char e of black gunpowder sup orted central y within thesmokeless pow er char e by a perforated cylinder or cage 10, w ich inturn communicates its fire to the surroundmg smokeless powder charge.The flame and the products-of combustion enter the combustion chamber,ignite the self-combustive material and at the same time provide thedesired pressure in said chamqbflr e nate cap is automatically explodedby the blow of the hammer 11, under suitable spring tension released ortripped, to operate the hammer through suitable connection by thelifting or opening of a foot valve 42 in the bottom of the torpedocasing in the chamber W by impact as the torpedo strikes the water onbeing launched. Water is thus also admitted to the chamber, to surroundthecombustion chamber and prevent it and the partition B from becomingunduly heated.

The hammer 11, see Fig. 10, is pivotally mounted to a casing 43supported by the partition B. The hammer plvot is formed with asegmental pinion 12 in mesh with the toothed rack of a plunger 44mounted to slide in the casing under the tension of a spring 45. Thespring is held under tension by a detent or ever 13 engaging a studprojecting from the rack plunger and held in engagement therewith by asuitable spring 2 pressing against its upper end. The detent or lever 13carries a stud 3 on its side arranged at the proper time to be engagedby the hooked end of a tripping lever 14. This tripping lever is pivotedto a movable plunger or head 46 that is mounted to slide in a cylinder47 provided by the partition B and the casing 43. The head is springpressed in one direction by a suitable spring 48 located in the cylinderand is moved in the opposite direction by pressure of air admitted by apipe 15 opening into said cylinder'andleading from exterior of thetorpedo casin and taking some of the air used in launchmg the torpedo.This air pressure slides the head in its cylinder, compressing thespring 48, and moves the tripping lever 14 so that its hooked end underthe push of a spring-pressed plunger 4 against its heel catches over thestud 3 of the detent 13 whereuponv a spring-pressed latch 49 engages arecess 5 in the head and holds it in set or operating position. As soonas the torpedo strikes the water in bein launched the foot' valve 42 islifted an moves a rod 50 upward against a pin 6*, projecting from thelatch 49, and raises said latch, thereby releasing the head carrying thetripping lever and allowing the spring 48 to quickly move the head andlever pulling the detent 13 free from the rack plunger i so that thespring 4.5 may suddenly raise the -provided with an emergency vent U,see

Fig. 11, normally closed by a thin copper disk 51 resting against theproperly shaped end of a securin ca 52 confining the disk in place. Thedlsk 1s sufiiciently strong to withstand more than the normal pressurewithin the combustion chamber, but should such pressure rise unduly andbe in danger of disrupting the torpedo, the disk will be sheared oflaround its cap allowing the pres sure to vent into torpedo body, therebysuddenly releasing the pressure 1n the combustion chamber-with theresult of immediately putting out the flame of combustion of theself-combustive material and sto ping all further generation of themotor fluid so that the torpedo comes to a standstill. The emergencyvent U is also provided'with an annular shearing punch 53 operated toshear the copper disk 51 by an undue rise in the temperature of themotor fluid. For this purpose the annular punch has a piston or plunger54 fitting a cylinder 55 that is constantly exposed to the motor fluidas it passes to the controlling valve R. The cylinder contains a fluidsuch as mercury, alcohol, or glycerin, capable of ex anding when undulyheated and thus forclbly operating the plunger to shear the disk.

In the form shown in Fig. 12, the motor fluid from the combustionchamber passes by a pipe 2' through a controlling valve R of the sameconstruction heretofore described, or of any other suitable form, andthence to a turbine engine T mounted in the after body, and of anypreferred form to drive a propeller or propellers as is common inautomobile torpedoes. The engine also drivesa pump H of any desiredconstruction and of suitable capacity, delivering sea Water to the feedwater conduit G, past a spring-seated check valve 9 and thence by thewater jacket around the tube 0 to the combustion chamber, as in theother example of the invention. The tubes 0 and E and combustion chamberD in this form of the lnvention may be of the same constructionheretofore described, except that they are changed end for end, thecombustion chamber and igniter being arranged toward the forward end ofthe torpedo and the motor fluid pipe 6 is consequently much longer thanin the construction shown, in Fig. 1. The controlling valve R as in theother example, is controlled by a.- Spring-SF bearing on the valvespindle through a bell crank n What is claimed is 1. The method ofgenerating a motive fluid for torpedoes and the like, which'consists inburning a self-combustive mater al under pressure and controlling therate of combustion by controlling the pressure un-' der which theburning takes place.

2. The method of generating a motive fluid for torpedoes and the like,which consists in burning a self-combustive material under pressure dueto the gases of its oWn combustion, and controlling the rate ofcombustion by controlling the pressure of said gases of combustion.

3. The method of generating a motive fluid for torpedoes and the like,which consists in burning a self-combustive fuel, combining with thegases of combustion water evaporated by the heat thereof, subjectmg saidfuel to the pressure of said evaporated water and gases of combustion,and controlling the rate of combustion of said fuel by controlling thesaid pressure.

4. The method of generating a motive fluid for torpedoes and the like,which consists in subjecting a self-combustive fuel to an initialpressure at the, time of ignition, burning said fuel under pressure, andcontrolling the rate of combustionby controlling the pressure underwhich the burning takes place.

5. The method of generating a motive fluid for torpedoes and the like,which consists in igniting a self-combustive fuel under an initialpressure, and maintaining a definite rate of combustion by maintainingsaid fuel under an approximately constant pressure during combustion.

6. The method of producing. motive fluid tween the body of the torpedoand the surrounding water thereby condensing some of the evaporatedwater and leaving a body of fixed gases against the Water Wall, andpreventing the condensation of the remainder of the evaporated water in.said fluid while expanding it to do work in propelling the torpedo.

7. The method of producing motive fluid and propelling torpedoesthereby, which consists in burning a self-combustive fuel, mixing theproducts of combustion with steam, expanding said mixture between thebody of the torpedo and the surrounding water, and interposing some ofsaid products of combustion between said expanding mixture and thesurrounding Water, whereby the condensation of the steam while expanding to do work is prevented.

8. The method of propelling torpedoes, which consists in providing amotive fluid of fixed gases and steam, expanding said motive fluidbetween the body of the torpedo and the surrounding Water, andmaintaining a stratum of fixed gases between said expanding motive fluid.and the surrounding water,\vherebythe condensation of the steam in saidfluid is partially prevented 9. In a propelling means for torpedoes andtorpedo boats wherein the products of combustion of a self-combustivematerial are used in combination with steam or other fluid as a'motive"fluid, means generating steam between the zone of combustion of thematerial and a controlling valve maintaining a predetermined rate ofcombustion of the material.

10. In a propelling means for torpedoes and torpedo boats wherein theproducts of combustion of a self-combustive material, in combinationwith another fluid, are utilized as a motive fluid, means absorbing heatfrom the products of combustion by the other fluid between the zone ofcombustion or combustion chamber, and a controlling means maintaining apredetermined rate of combustion.

11. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-combustive material underpressure, means supplying water thereto to be evaporated into steam,means for mixing the products of combustion of said material and thesteam, and a valve maintaining a predetermined pressure and releaisngthe excess to drive the torpedo.

12. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-combustive material underpressure and releasing the excess pressure to drive the torpedo, meanssupplying water to the burning material to be evaporated into steam andmeans counterbalancing the pressure on the water to permit it to flow bygravity.

13. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-combustive material underpressure and an igniter therefor automatically operated by the pressureof water againsta portion of the torpedo casing.

14. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-combustive material underpressure, and an igniter therefor set to be operable by the pressureemployed in launching the torpedo and a trip device operable when thetorpedo enters the water.

15. In. a torpedo, means for burning a solid self-combustive materialunder pres sure, and means for igniting said material and supplying aninitial pressure thereto at the time of ignition.

16. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-combustive material underpressure, a water supplying means, a valve in the water supply passageopened by the pressure, and means for igniting said material andsupplying an initial pressure thereto at the time of ignition.

17. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-combustive material underpressure and maintaining a predetermined rate of combustion, a charge ofpowder for ignltmg said material and supplying an initial pressurethereto at the time of ignition and automatic means for igniting saidcharge of powder.

18. In a torpedo, means for burnmg a self-combustive material underpressure, a plurality of water tanks successlvely supplying Water to theproducts of combustion of said material and taking water from the sea.

19. In a torpedo, means for burning a self-,combustive material underpressure, and an emergency vent for an undue rise in such pressure.

20. In a torpedo, means for burnmg a selfcombustive material underpressure, cooling the products of combust1on by admitting water thereto,a breakable disk, and means for shearing the disk upon an undue rise intemperature of the gaseous products.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo SllbSCllbing witnesses.

HUDSON MAXIM.

